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2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

0 SUGKER I MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. No. 469,509. Patented Feb.123, 1892.

Zone 115 0)" Wfiuays as (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

v G SUOKER MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

No. 469,509. Patented Feb. 23-, 1 92.

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'm: NORRIS PLTERS cm, mam-um, wmmmau o c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES SUOKER, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

' MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 469,509, dated February 23, 1892.

Application filed October 1'7, 1891. Serial No. 08,981. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES SUOKER, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at London, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Melodeons, Accordions,0oncertinas, and other Similar Free Reed Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements applicable to melodeons, accordions, concertinas, and other similar free reed instruments, the object of the invention being to provide improved means for locking the instrument in the closed position and so that the act of pressing the air-valve unlocks the instrument.

In carrying out the invention I employ within the instrument a spring bolt or lever suitably fulcrumed and having a catch at one end so arranged that when the instrument is closed the said catch engages with a rod, pin, or locking-plate, thereby locking the instrument in its closed position.- The other end of the said spring bolt or leverbears against the air-valve in such a manner that when it is required to use the instrument the act of operating the air-valve disengages the catch, leaving the instrument free to be played upon.

In order to enable my invention to be fully understood, I will describe how it can be carried into practice by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a front sectional elevation showing my invention applied toa melodeon. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan of the same. Fig. 3 is a view of some of the parts shown in Fig. 2, but in another position. Fig. 4 is a side sectional elevation of the instrument. Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively a front view and a plan showing amodified form of my locking arrangement.

Similar letters in all the figures indicate similar or corresponding parts.

I will first describe the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 to 4. a represents the spring bolt or lever fulcrumed at b in a slotcin a plate d, fixed in the interior of the instrument. 6 is the catch at one end of the bolt or lever a,

the other end of the leverbearing against the spring.

air-valve f of the instrument. g is arod onto which the catch 6 engages (when the instrument isin its closed position) underthe action of the spring h, which normally tends to keep the bolt or lever a in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2, thereby keeping the airvalve closed and dispensing with the ordinary From this arrangement it will be obvious that when the instrumentis in its closed position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the catch 6, being engaged with the rod g, will lock the instrument. When it is required to use the instrument, theaot of operating the air-valve f will move the lever a on its fulcrum b, disengaging the catch 6 from the rod 9, as shown in Fig. 3, leaving the instrument free tobe played upon. On closing the instrument the catch will automatically engage with the rod g and lock the instrument.

In the modification shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the bolt or lever a is fixed to a spring-plate h, which also forms the fulcrum of the lever. The operation is the same asthat hereinbefore described and therefore needs no further description.

It will be obvious that instead of the rod g, hereinbefore described, a locking-plate or its equivalent can be employed.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is- 1. A melodeon, accordion, concertina, or like free reed instrument havingaspring bolt or lever for automatically locking the instrument when closed, the said lever being adapted to be operated by the air-valve of the instrument for unlocking the same.

2. A melodeon, accordion, concertina, or like free reed instrument having in combination a spring bolt or lever, such as a, a catch 6, a rod g, and a spring h, arranged and operating substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated.

CHARLES SUCKER.

Witnesses:

G. F. REDEERN, A. S. WU T. 

